This year our class is taking on the challenge of trying to solve some of the issues that have plagued our globe over the past twenty years. This page is designed to record our journey along the way as well as serve as a dumping ground for any information that we may come across as we begin and continue to research a possible solution.
Of people with__high blood pressure__, 46.2% were obese, 31.1% were overweight, 19.3% were of normal weight, and 17.2% underweight. Of people with high cholesterol, 36.8% were obese, 30.1% overweight, 19.2% normal weight, and 14.1% underweight. Of people with diabetes, 21.1% were obese, 9.8% overweight, 5% normal weight, and 4.2% underweight. Of people reporting heart attacks, 6.3% were obese, 4.8% overweight, 3.3% normal weight, and 4.4% underweight. Of depressed people, 23.3% were obese, 15.3% overweight, 15% normal weight, and 20% underweight. The survey says that African-Americans in 2009 were among the most likely to be obese, at 36.2%, compared to the national average of 26.5%. The obesity rate among Hispanics, at 28.3%, is also higher than the national average. Asians are far less likely to be obese, with only 9.6% falling into that category. The survey also reports that:
18.3% of young Americans are obese, compared to 27.6% between ages 30-44 and 30.6% among 45- to 64-year-olds. Of people 65 and over, 24.2% are obese.
Men are more likely than women to be obese, 27.8% compared to 25.2%.
The report concludes that obesity is still on the rise and that reversing this trend may require the involvement of communities, businesses, and governments. Between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese.
What The causes of obesity are complex and include genetic, biological, behavioral and cultural factors. Obesity occurs when a person eats more calories than the body burns up. If one parent is obese, there is a 50 percent chance that their children will also be obese. However, when both parents are obese, their children have an 80 percent chance of being obese. Although certain medical disorders can cause obesity, less than 1 percent of all obesity is caused by physical problems. Obesity in childhood and adolescence can be related to:
Where
The Japanese do not snack like Americans do. There are vending machines everywhere in Japan, but almost none of them sell snacks. They mostly sell drinks. In the US, drink vending machines are full of soft drinks. In Japan they are full of unsweetened tea and coffee beverages for the most part. They even have hot coffee in a steel can. Some of the coffee and tea drinks have milk and some have sweetener. But the Japanese in general seem to have a much lower tolerance for the sweet flavor as they find most American sweet things, “too sweet”. All the Japanese I saw drank unsweetened green tea the way Americans drink soft drinks.
Japanese do not drive to work. Instead they take the train, bike or walk. The roads in Japan are low capacity, and parking is scarce and expensive. Most Japanese walk at least 40 minutes, five times per week. 10 min. from home to the train, 10 min. from the train to work and the reverse on the return trip home. Add in extra trips for lunch or shopping and the miles really add up quickly. They also ride bikes far more often. You see bicycles everywhere in Japan, far more so than in the US. Japanese eat more fat, and therefore less carbs, than Americans Japanese chain-drink caffeinated, unsweetened tea, not HFCS soft drinks Japanese don’t snack to the degree that Americans do Japanese walk at least 40 min. 5 times per week Japanese walk/ride bikes more often than Americans
According to 2007 statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States has the highest prevalence of overweight adults in the Anglosphere.[1[[home#cite_note-0|]]]
Historical U.S. Obesity Rate, 1960-2004.[2[[home#cite_note-1|]]] Obesity in the United States has been increasingly cited as a major health issue in recent decades. While many [[/wiki/Developed_country|industrialized countries]] have experienced similar increases, [[/wiki/Obesity|obesity]] rates in the [[/wiki/United_States|United States]] are among the highest in the world.[3[[home#cite_note-2|]]] Of all countries, the United States has the highest rate of obesity. From 13% obesity in 1962, estimates have steadily increased, reaching 19.4% in 1997, 24.5% in 2004[4[[home#cite_note-3|]]] 26.6% in 2007,[5[[home#cite_note-4|]]] and 33.8% (adults) and 17% (children) in 2008.[6[[home#cite_note-cdc_2010-5|]]][7[[home#cite_note-6|]]] In 2010, the CDC reported higher numbers once more, counting 35.7% of American adults as obese, and 17% of American children.[8[[home#cite_note-7|]]]
According to a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), in 2008, the obesity rate among adult Americans was estimated at 32.2% for men and 35.5% for women; these rates were roughly confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention again for 2009-2010. Using different criteria, a Gallup survey found the rate was 26.1% for U.S. adults in 2011, up from 25.5% in 2008. Though the rate for women has held steady over the previous decade, the obesity rate for men continued to increase between 1999 and 2008, the JAMA study notes. Moreover, “The prevalence of obesity for adults aged 20 to 74 years increased by 7.9 percentage points for men and by 8.9 percentage points for women between 1976-1980 and 1988-1994, and subsequently by 7.1 percentage points for men and by 8.1 percentage points for women between 1988-1994 and 1999-2000.”[9[[home#cite_note-8|]]]
The direct medical cost of obesity and indirect economic loss to obesity has been estimated to be as high as US$ 51.64 billion and US$ 99.2 billion in 1995, respectively;[10[[home#cite_note-9|]]] this rose to US$ 61 billion and US$ 117 billion in 2000.[11[[home#cite_note-10|]]] Researchers for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and [[/wiki/RTI_International|RTI International]] estimate that in 2003, obesity-attributable medical expenditures reached $75 billion [[/wiki/Obesity|Obesity]] in [[/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_China|China]] is a major health concern according to the [[/wiki/World_Health_Organization|WHO]], with overall rates of obesity below 5% in the country, but greater than 20% in some cities.[2[[home#cite_note-1|]]] This is a dramatic change from times when China experienced famine as a result from ineffective agriculturalization plans such as the [[/wiki/Great_Leap_Forward|Great Leap Forward]].[3[[home#cite_note-2|]]] Currently, obesity in China is mostly confined to the cities where [[/wiki/Fast_food|fast food]] culture and globalization have taken over, in comparison to poorer rural areas. Despite this concentration of obesity, the sheer size of China's population means that over one fifth of all one billion obese people in the world come from China.
Statistics from the Chinese Health Ministry have revealed that urban Chinese boys age 6 are 2.5 inches taller and 6.6 pounds heavier on average than Chinese city boys 30 years ago. A leading child-health researcher, [[/w/index.php?title=Ji_Chengye&action=edit&redlink=1|Ji Chengye]], has stated that, "China has entered the era of obesity. The speed of growth is shocking."[1[[home#cite_note-USA_Today-0|]]]
Economic expansion and the increase in living standards as a result has seen food intake increase on average in the cities and the growth of automation and transport has seen less physical labor. Rapid motorization has drastically reduced levels of cycling and walking in China. A 2002 report has revealed a direct correspondence between ownership of motorized transport by households in China and increasing obesity related problems in children and adults.[5[[home#cite_note-4|]]]
The introduction of processed foods through [[/wiki/Globalisation|globalisation]] in China and the problem of obesity is a recent phenomenon, as only 45 years ago the country faced starvation during the leadership of [[/wiki/Mao_Zedong|Mao Zedong]].[1[[home#cite_note-USA_Today-0|]]] However while malnutrition has been mostly ended in cities today, millions of rural poor, especially in rural western China are still a far cry from the problem facing the cities.[1[[home#cite_note-USA_Today-0|]]]
The problem is affecting the young generations although some sources indicate the problem is worse with those between 35 and 59 where more than half are now overweight in cities, a figure similar to that in industrialised countries.[6[[home#cite_note-BBC-5|]]] However, they state that the younger generations are increasingly at risk. Today, 8% of 10- to 12-year-olds in China's cities are considered obese and an additional 15% are overweight, according to Chinese Ministry of Education.[1[[home#cite_note-USA_Today-0|]]] Similarly, A 2006 study conducted by University of Southern California found that the average body fat of Hong Kong Children was 21 percent, an alarmingly high number When
15 percent in 1980 to 27 percent in 1999.
study found that between 1986 to 2000, the proportion of severely obese Americans quadrupled, going from one in 200 to one in 50
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 1999-2000, 15 percent of 6- to 19-year-olds are overweight, which is almost triple the number from 1980.
Why
At an individual level, a combination of excessive [[/wiki/Food_energy|food energy]] intake and a lack of [[/wiki/Physical_activity|physical activity]] is thought to explain most cases of obesity.[65[[home#cite_note-CADG2006-64|]]] A limited number of cases are due primarily to genetics, medical reasons, or psychiatric illness.[66[[home#cite_note-65|]]] In contrast, increasing rates of obesity at a societal level are felt to be due to an easily accessible and palatable diet,[67[[home#cite_note-66|]]] increased reliance on cars, and mechanized manufacturing.[68[[home#cite_note-67|]]][69[[home#cite_note-James2008-68|]]]
A 2006 review identified ten other possible contributors to the recent increase of obesity: (1) insufficient sleep, (2) [[/wiki/Endocrine_disruptor|endocrine disruptors]] (environmental [[/wiki/Pollutant|pollutants]] that interfere with lipid metabolism), (3) decreased variability in ambient temperature, (4) decreased rates of [[/wiki/Tobacco_smoking|smoking]], because smoking suppresses appetite, (5) increased use of medications that can cause weight gain (e.g., [[/wiki/Atypical_antipsychotics|atypical antipsychotics]]), (6) proportional increases in ethnic and age groups that tend to be heavier, (7) pregnancy at a later age (which may cause susceptibility to obesity in children), (8) [[/wiki/Epigenetic|epigenetic]] risk factors passed on generationally, (9) [[/wiki/Natural_selection|natural selection]] for higher BMI, and (10) [[/wiki/Assortative_mating|assortative mating]] leading to increased concentration of obesity risk factors (this would increase the number of obese people by increasing population variance in weight).[70[[home#cite_note-pmid16801930-69|]]] While there is substantial evidence supporting the influence of these mechanisms on the increased prevalence of obesity, the evidence is still inconclusive, and the authors state that these are probably less influential than the ones discussed in the previous paragraph
Costs: human and/or financial cost?
Direct medical costs are an obvious cost driver—for overweight individuals, it accounts for 66% of weight-related costs for women and 80% for men. It’s also the cost driver for obese men, but for obese women it accounts for just 30% of the overall costs. An obese female loses more income through lost wages (38%) than from medical costs.
After tabulating various costs associated with being overweight or obese, the researchers found that being an obese individual in the U.S. costs $4,879 for women and $2,646 for men each year. The overall annual costs of being overweight are $524 for women and $432 for men. The researchers defined “obesity” as a body mass index (BMI) higher than 30, and “overweight” as a BMI between 25–29.
Adding the value of lost life to these yearly costs makes the price tag even higher: $8,365 and $6,518 for women and men, respectively.
Lower wages: Stanford University researchers found that obese men and women earn, on average, $3.41 per hour less than their peers. Over the course of a year, that means $7,093 in lost income. The income gap is smaller when obese workers are young, but it widens over time. The difference may be partly attributable to healthcare costs: Employers tend to pay obese workers less when they're footing the bill for their insurance, researchers said, speculating that it could be an unconscious reaction on the part of the employer to having to pay higher premiums for a more obese workforce. 2. Fewer work hours: On average, obese workers tend to lose a week of work a year due to ailments related to their weight, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. A firm of 1,000 employees loses $285,000 a year due to obese—not overweight—employees, about 30 percent of which is attributable to increased absenteeism, according to Eric A. Finkelstein and Laurie Zuckerman's "The Fattening of America." 3. Higher medical costs: Overweight males incur medical costs that are $170 more annually than their leaner co-workers, while overweight females incur costs $495 higher than their counterparts, Finkelstein and Zuckerman write. They also note that hospitals have to pay more to treat the obese—oversized wheelchairs can cost about $2,500, eight times the cost of an ordinary wheelchair, and operating tables that are strong enough to support the severely obese can top $30,000. 4. Extra air travel costs: Budget airlines such as Southwest require obese people or people who may take up more than one seat to buy an adequate number of seats on the flight. And heavier passengers burn more fuel: In the 1990s, Americans' average weight increased by 10 pounds, which meant that airlines spent $275 million on an additional 350 million gallons of fuel to support that extra weight, according to a 2004 Centers for Disease Control report. 5. More gasoline: Obviously, more weight burns more gasoline in cars, too. A 2006 study published in the journal The Engineering Economist found that Americans pumped 938 million more gallons of fuel a year than they did in 1960 because of their heftier frames. That adds up to roughly $3.55 billion in increased annual gas expenditures nationwide. Previous Efforts Put Into Place to Help Resolve Issue:
According to a recent Washington Post article, legislatures in at least 25 states are currently debating more than 140 bills aimed at curbing obesity
Michelle Obama will speak to the Grocery Manufacturers Association today about childhood obesity. Kraft Foods Inc, Lance Inc, General Mills Inc, and Coca Cola will be some of the big food industry giants she will speak to. The industries that produce so much junk food seems to be taking some blows including a child nutrition bill that is about to move through Congress that could attempt to eliminate junk food in schools.
The first lady’s address comes at a hard time for the food industry as the U.S. Congress is moving towards a child nutrition bill hoping to eliminate junk food in schools. The Food and Drug Administration is beginning a crack down on misleading food labeling which labels some items "healthy" that are not. Even the Senate is getting involved as they begin to consider using a tax on soda and other sweetened drinks to pay towards an overhauled health system.
The federal government has made the prevention and treatment of obesity a major part of its campaign to improve the health of America by launching a series of initiatives that are likely to have a long-term impact on stemming the tide of obesity in this country. That's according to analysts interviewed by AAFP News Now.
Photo of first lady Michelle Obama speaking at a White House event held to launch the administration's Let's Move initiative
First lady Michelle Obama explains her public outreach campaign to fight childhood obesity, known as Let's Move, during a White House event on Feb. 9.In early February, U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin issued her first release to the country. "The Surgeon General's Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation 2010," (21-page PDF; About PDFs) highlights the growing number of overweight and obese Americans and reviews the causes and health consequences of obesity. The report also offers steps consumers, parents, schools, communities and physicians can take to reverse the trend.
It was only a few days later, on Feb. 9, when first lady Michelle Obama unveiled her Let's Move campaign to combat childhood obesity. The campaign outlines a wide range of initiatives to attempt to end childhood obesity within a generation. The Let's Move campaign encompasses support for parents, the provision of healthier foods in schools, more physical activity for kids and the availability of affordable healthy foods in communities.
Then, in late March, Congress passed and the president signed a comprehensive health care reform bill into law. The legislation contains several measures to help reduce the rising rates of obesity in the United States.
After all, Carmona said, "it has taken us a generation to get here." Solving the nation's obesity crisis mandates a long-term approach that requires a cultural change. This entails a shift in buying, eating and sedentary habits, said Carmona in an interview with AAFP News Now.
"It is not about (saying that), 'Next month, everybody is going to be healthy, and obesity is going to go away,'" Carmona said. "The culture is the most difficult thing to change."
We Can a national movement designed to give parents, caregivers, and entire communities a way to help children 8 to 13 years old stay at a healthy weight. We Can! also offers organizations, community groups, and health professionals a centralized resource to promote a healthy weight in youth through community outreach, partnership development, and media activities that can be adapted to meet the needs of diverse populations. Science-based educational programs, support materials, training opportunities, and other resources are available to support programming for youth, parents, and families in the community
NFL Play 60
Our Mission: To make the next generation of youth the most active and healthy.
In October 2007, the NFL launched NFL PLAY 60, a national youth health and fitness campaign focused on increasing the wellness of young fans by encouraging them to be active for at least 60 minutes a day.
Designed to tackle childhood obesity, NFL PLAY 60 brings together the NFL�s long-standing commitment to health and fitness with an impressive roster of partner organizations. In addition to national outreach and online programs, NFL PLAY 60 is implemented at the grassroots level through NFL�s in-school, after-school and team-based programs. The NFL PLAY 60 initiative is prominent during the NFL�s key calendar events, including Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, Draft, Kickoff and Thanksgiving and is supported by many NFL players and coaches year round. To date, the NFL has dedicated over $200 million to youth health and wellness through NFL PLAY 60.
Reasons why previous efforts to help resolve issue have failed:
Japan is making people showig Areas of concern on reaching your desired solution to the global issue:
YOUR PLAN OF ACTION! (for this section, you will need to provide the most detail as you lay a step-by-step plan on how your group will go about tackling this issue. It is important that you take a look at all the information you have researched and studied and use that information to develop a true, realistic and effective plan of action. The plan needs to include funding, people involved, time length of project, materials needed, etc…)
we are going to tax parking more at areas downtown forcing tehm to walks because pay the high price and talk to lounges of the middle and upper a school and talk to them about selling more fruits but also making them way cheaper than the candy so if one is down of money there only choice would be of the fruit and then cause them tp eat more of it and more and soon that will become a lifestyle and in lunch we are going to talk to the food department of woodward and some other local schools of college ark and then tell them to start having more veggies as choices.
Global Issue #1:
The following document will serve as a template for you to follow as you go along and begin organizing you information.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxYpsy2FQnE&feature=relmfu
Solving the Issues of the World…One Friday at a Time
Group Names:_ Jalen Polk, Joseph Rafshoon
Global Issue #1: Obesity
Background of Issue: (who?, what?, where?, when?, why?)
Who
Obesity has become a major problem in the UAE. Over 60% of Emirati nationals are overweight.
71.6% of normal-weight people
69% of underweight people
68.9% of overweight people
67.2% of obese people
PLAY 60
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKOUjMBlxB8&feature=relmfu
Of people with__high blood pressure__, 46.2% were obese, 31.1% were overweight, 19.3% were of normal weight, and 17.2% underweight. Of people with high cholesterol, 36.8% were obese, 30.1% overweight, 19.2% normal weight, and 14.1% underweight. Of people with diabetes, 21.1% were obese, 9.8% overweight, 5% normal weight, and 4.2% underweight. Of people reporting heart attacks, 6.3% were obese, 4.8% overweight, 3.3% normal weight, and 4.4% underweight. Of depressed people, 23.3% were obese, 15.3% overweight, 15% normal weight, and 20% underweight. The survey says that African-Americans in 2009 were among the most likely to be obese, at 36.2%, compared to the national average of 26.5%. The obesity rate among Hispanics, at 28.3%, is also higher than the national average. Asians are far less likely to be obese, with only 9.6% falling into that category. The survey also reports that:
- 18.3% of young Americans are obese, compared to 27.6% between ages 30-44 and 30.6% among 45- to 64-year-olds. Of people 65 and over, 24.2% are obese.
- Men are more likely than women to be obese, 27.8% compared to 25.2%.
The report concludes that obesity is still on the rise and that reversing this trend may require the involvement of communities, businesses, and governments. Between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese.What
The causes of obesity are complex and include genetic, biological, behavioral and cultural factors. Obesity occurs when a person eats more calories than the body burns up. If one parent is obese, there is a 50 percent chance that their children will also be obese. However, when both parents are obese, their children have an 80 percent chance of being obese. Although certain medical disorders can cause obesity, less than 1 percent of all obesity is caused by physical problems. Obesity in childhood and adolescence can be related to:
__https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFWl1k-w_28__
__https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sLAnBAUNp0&feature=related__
Obesity is a __medical condition__ in which excess__body fat__ has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced__life expectancy__ and/or increased health problems.__[1]____[2]__ People are considered as obese when their__body mass index__ (BMI), a measurement obtained by dividing a person's weight in__kilograms__ by the square of the person's height in__metres__, exceeds 30 kg/m2.__[3]__
Obesity increases the likelihood of__various diseases__, particularly__heart disease__,__type 2 diabetes__,__obstructive sleep apnea__, certain types of__cancer__,__osteoarthritis____[2]__ and__asthma____[4]____[2]____[5]__. Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive__food energy__ intake, lack of physical activity, and__genetic susceptibility__, although a few cases are caused primarily by__genes__,__endocrine__ disorders,__medications__ or__psychiatric illness__. Evidence to support the view that some obese people eat little yet gain weight due to a slow metabolism is limited; on average obese people have a greater energy expenditure than their thin counterparts due to the energy required to maintain an increased body mass.__[6]____[7]__
__Dieting__ and__physical exercise__ are the mainstays of treatment for obesity. Diet quality can be improved by reducing the consumption of energy-dense foods such as those high in fat and sugars, and by increasing the intake of__dietary fiber__.__Anti-obesity drugs__ may be taken to reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption together with a suitable diet. If diet, exercise and medication are not effective, a__gastric balloon__ may assist with weight loss, or__surgery__ may be performed to reduce stomach volume and/or bowel length, leading to earlier__satiation__ and reduced ability to absorb nutrients from food.__[8]____[9]__
Obesity is a leading__preventable cause of death__ worldwide, with increasing__prevalence__ in adults and__children__, and authorities view it as one of the most serious__public health__ problems of the 21st century.__[10]__ Obesity is__stigmatized__ in much of the modern world (particularly in the__Western world__), though it was widely perceived as a symbol of wealth and fertility at other times in history, and still is in some parts of the world.__[2]____[11]__
Obesity means having too much body fat. It is not the same as being overweight, which means weighing too much. A person may be overweight from extra muscle, bone, or water, as well as from having too much fat.
.__https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-RXs7JrM6U__
Where
The Japanese do not snack like Americans do. There are vending machines everywhere in Japan, but almost none of them sell snacks. They mostly sell drinks. In the US, drink vending machines are full of soft drinks. In Japan they are full of unsweetened tea and coffee beverages for the most part. They even have hot coffee in a steel can. Some of the coffee and tea drinks have milk and some have sweetener. But the Japanese in general seem to have a much lower tolerance for the sweet flavor as they find most American sweet things, “too sweet”. All the Japanese I saw drank unsweetened green tea the way Americans drink soft drinks.
Japanese do not drive to work. Instead they take the train, bike or walk. The roads in Japan are low capacity, and parking is scarce and expensive. Most Japanese walk at least 40 minutes, five times per week. 10 min. from home to the train, 10 min. from the train to work and the reverse on the return trip home. Add in extra trips for lunch or shopping and the miles really add up quickly. They also ride bikes far more often. You see bicycles everywhere in Japan, far more so than in the US.
Japanese eat more fat, and therefore less carbs, than Americans
Japanese chain-drink caffeinated, unsweetened tea, not HFCS soft drinks
Japanese don’t snack to the degree that Americans do
Japanese walk at least 40 min. 5 times per week
Japanese walk/ride bikes more often than Americans
According to 2007 statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States has the highest prevalence of overweight adults in the Anglosphere.[1[[home#cite_note-0|]]]
Historical U.S. Obesity Rate, 1960-2004.[2[[home#cite_note-1|]]]
Obesity in the United States has been increasingly cited as a major health issue in recent decades. While many [[/wiki/Developed_country|industrialized countries]] have experienced similar increases, [[/wiki/Obesity|obesity]] rates in the [[/wiki/United_States|United States]] are among the highest in the world.[3[[home#cite_note-2|]]] Of all countries, the United States has the highest rate of obesity. From 13% obesity in 1962, estimates have steadily increased, reaching 19.4% in 1997, 24.5% in 2004[4[[home#cite_note-3|]]] 26.6% in 2007,[5[[home#cite_note-4|]]] and 33.8% (adults) and 17% (children) in 2008.[6[[home#cite_note-cdc_2010-5|]]][7[[home#cite_note-6|]]] In 2010, the CDC reported higher numbers once more, counting 35.7% of American adults as obese, and 17% of American children.[8[[home#cite_note-7|]]]
According to a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), in 2008, the obesity rate among adult Americans was estimated at 32.2% for men and 35.5% for women; these rates were roughly confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention again for 2009-2010. Using different criteria, a Gallup survey found the rate was 26.1% for U.S. adults in 2011, up from 25.5% in 2008. Though the rate for women has held steady over the previous decade, the obesity rate for men continued to increase between 1999 and 2008, the JAMA study notes. Moreover, “The prevalence of obesity for adults aged 20 to 74 years increased by 7.9 percentage points for men and by 8.9 percentage points for women between 1976-1980 and 1988-1994, and subsequently by 7.1 percentage points for men and by 8.1 percentage points for women between 1988-1994 and 1999-2000.”[9[[home#cite_note-8|]]]
The direct medical cost of obesity and indirect economic loss to obesity has been estimated to be as high as US$ 51.64 billion and US$ 99.2 billion in 1995, respectively;[10[[home#cite_note-9|]]] this rose to US$ 61 billion and US$ 117 billion in 2000.[11[[home#cite_note-10|]]] Researchers for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and [[/wiki/RTI_International|RTI International]] estimate that in 2003, obesity-attributable medical expenditures reached $75 billion
[[/wiki/Obesity|Obesity]] in [[/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_China|China]] is a major health concern according to the [[/wiki/World_Health_Organization|WHO]], with overall rates of obesity below 5% in the country, but greater than 20% in some cities.[2[[home#cite_note-1|]]] This is a dramatic change from times when China experienced famine as a result from ineffective agriculturalization plans such as the [[/wiki/Great_Leap_Forward|Great Leap Forward]].[3[[home#cite_note-2|]]] Currently, obesity in China is mostly confined to the cities where [[/wiki/Fast_food|fast food]] culture and globalization have taken over, in comparison to poorer rural areas. Despite this concentration of obesity, the sheer size of China's population means that over one fifth of all one billion obese people in the world come from China.
Statistics from the Chinese Health Ministry have revealed that urban Chinese boys age 6 are 2.5 inches taller and 6.6 pounds heavier on average than Chinese city boys 30 years ago. A leading child-health researcher, [[/w/index.php?title=Ji_Chengye&action=edit&redlink=1|Ji Chengye]], has stated that, "China has entered the era of obesity. The speed of growth is shocking."[1[[home#cite_note-USA_Today-0|]]]
Economic expansion and the increase in living standards as a result has seen food intake increase on average in the cities and the growth of automation and transport has seen less physical labor. Rapid motorization has drastically reduced levels of cycling and walking in China. A 2002 report has revealed a direct correspondence between ownership of motorized transport by households in China and increasing obesity related problems in children and adults.[5[[home#cite_note-4|]]]
The introduction of processed foods through [[/wiki/Globalisation|globalisation]] in China and the problem of obesity is a recent phenomenon, as only 45 years ago the country faced starvation during the leadership of [[/wiki/Mao_Zedong|Mao Zedong]].[1[[home#cite_note-USA_Today-0|]]] However while malnutrition has been mostly ended in cities today, millions of rural poor, especially in rural western China are still a far cry from the problem facing the cities.[1[[home#cite_note-USA_Today-0|]]]
The problem is affecting the young generations although some sources indicate the problem is worse with those between 35 and 59 where more than half are now overweight in cities, a figure similar to that in industrialised countries.[6[[home#cite_note-BBC-5|]]] However, they state that the younger generations are increasingly at risk. Today, 8% of 10- to 12-year-olds in China's cities are considered obese and an additional 15% are overweight, according to Chinese Ministry of Education.[1[[home#cite_note-USA_Today-0|]]] Similarly, A 2006 study conducted by University of Southern California found that the average body fat of Hong Kong Children was 21 percent, an alarmingly high number
When
15 percent in 1980 to 27 percent in 1999.
study found that between 1986 to 2000, the proportion of severely obese Americans quadrupled, going from one in 200 to one in 50
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 1999-2000, 15 percent of 6- to 19-year-olds are overweight, which is almost triple the number from 1980.
Why
At an individual level, a combination of excessive [[/wiki/Food_energy|food energy]] intake and a lack of [[/wiki/Physical_activity|physical activity]] is thought to explain most cases of obesity.[65[[home#cite_note-CADG2006-64|]]] A limited number of cases are due primarily to genetics, medical reasons, or psychiatric illness.[66[[home#cite_note-65|]]] In contrast, increasing rates of obesity at a societal level are felt to be due to an easily accessible and palatable diet,[67[[home#cite_note-66|]]] increased reliance on cars, and mechanized manufacturing.[68[[home#cite_note-67|]]][69[[home#cite_note-James2008-68|]]]
A 2006 review identified ten other possible contributors to the recent increase of obesity: (1) insufficient sleep, (2) [[/wiki/Endocrine_disruptor|endocrine disruptors]] (environmental [[/wiki/Pollutant|pollutants]] that interfere with lipid metabolism), (3) decreased variability in ambient temperature, (4) decreased rates of [[/wiki/Tobacco_smoking|smoking]], because smoking suppresses appetite, (5) increased use of medications that can cause weight gain (e.g., [[/wiki/Atypical_antipsychotics|atypical antipsychotics]]), (6) proportional increases in ethnic and age groups that tend to be heavier, (7) pregnancy at a later age (which may cause susceptibility to obesity in children), (8) [[/wiki/Epigenetic|epigenetic]] risk factors passed on generationally, (9) [[/wiki/Natural_selection|natural selection]] for higher BMI, and (10) [[/wiki/Assortative_mating|assortative mating]] leading to increased concentration of obesity risk factors (this would increase the number of obese people by increasing population variance in weight).[70[[home#cite_note-pmid16801930-69|]]] While there is substantial evidence supporting the influence of these mechanisms on the increased prevalence of obesity, the evidence is still inconclusive, and the authors state that these are probably less influential than the ones discussed in the previous paragraph
Costs: human and/or financial cost?
Direct medical costs are an obvious cost driver—for overweight individuals, it accounts for 66% of weight-related costs for women and 80% for men. It’s also the cost driver for obese men, but for obese women it accounts for just 30% of the overall costs. An obese female loses more income through lost wages (38%) than from medical costs.
After tabulating various costs associated with being overweight or obese, the researchers found that being an obese individual in the U.S. costs $4,879 for women and $2,646 for men each year. The overall annual costs of being overweight are $524 for women and $432 for men. The researchers defined “obesity” as a body mass index (BMI) higher than 30, and “overweight” as a BMI between 25–29.
Adding the value of lost life to these yearly costs makes the price tag even higher: $8,365 and $6,518 for women and men, respectively.
Lower wages: Stanford University researchers found that obese men and women earn, on average, $3.41 per hour less than their peers. Over the course of a year, that means $7,093 in lost income. The income gap is smaller when obese workers are young, but it widens over time. The difference may be partly attributable to healthcare costs: Employers tend to pay obese workers less when they're footing the bill for their insurance, researchers said, speculating that it could be an unconscious reaction on the part of the employer to having to pay higher premiums for a more obese workforce.
2. Fewer work hours: On average, obese workers tend to lose a week of work a year due to ailments related to their weight, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. A firm of 1,000 employees loses $285,000 a year due to obese—not overweight—employees, about 30 percent of which is attributable to increased absenteeism, according to Eric A. Finkelstein and Laurie Zuckerman's "The Fattening of America."
3. Higher medical costs: Overweight males incur medical costs that are $170 more annually than their leaner co-workers, while overweight females incur costs $495 higher than their counterparts, Finkelstein and Zuckerman write. They also note that hospitals have to pay more to treat the obese—oversized wheelchairs can cost about $2,500, eight times the cost of an ordinary wheelchair, and operating tables that are strong enough to support the severely obese can top $30,000.
4. Extra air travel costs: Budget airlines such as Southwest require obese people or people who may take up more than one seat to buy an adequate number of seats on the flight. And heavier passengers burn more fuel: In the 1990s, Americans' average weight increased by 10 pounds, which meant that airlines spent $275 million on an additional 350 million gallons of fuel to support that extra weight, according to a 2004 Centers for Disease Control report.
5. More gasoline: Obviously, more weight burns more gasoline in cars, too. A 2006 study published in the journal The Engineering Economist found that Americans pumped 938 million more gallons of fuel a year than they did in 1960 because of their heftier frames. That adds up to roughly $3.55 billion in increased annual gas expenditures nationwide.
Previous Efforts Put Into Place to Help Resolve Issue:
According to a recent Washington Post article, legislatures in at least 25 states are currently debating more than 140 bills aimed at curbing obesity
Michelle Obama will speak to the Grocery Manufacturers Association today about childhood obesity. Kraft Foods Inc, Lance Inc, General Mills Inc, and Coca Cola will be some of the big food industry giants she will speak to. The industries that produce so much junk food seems to be taking some blows including a child nutrition bill that is about to move through Congress that could attempt to eliminate junk food in schools.
The first lady’s address comes at a hard time for the food industry as the U.S. Congress is moving towards a child nutrition bill hoping to eliminate junk food in schools. The Food and Drug Administration is beginning a crack down on misleading food labeling which labels some items "healthy" that are not. Even the Senate is getting involved as they begin to consider using a tax on soda and other sweetened drinks to pay towards an overhauled health system.
The federal government has made the prevention and treatment of obesity a major part of its campaign to improve the health of America by launching a series of initiatives that are likely to have a long-term impact on stemming the tide of obesity in this country. That's according to analysts interviewed by AAFP News Now.
First lady Michelle Obama explains her public outreach campaign to fight childhood obesity, known as Let's Move, during a White House event on Feb. 9.In early February, U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin issued her first release to the country. "The Surgeon General's Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation 2010," (21-page PDF; About PDFs) highlights the growing number of overweight and obese Americans and reviews the causes and health consequences of obesity. The report also offers steps consumers, parents, schools, communities and physicians can take to reverse the trend.
It was only a few days later, on Feb. 9, when first lady Michelle Obama unveiled her Let's Move campaign to combat childhood obesity. The campaign outlines a wide range of initiatives to attempt to end childhood obesity within a generation. The Let's Move campaign encompasses support for parents, the provision of healthier foods in schools, more physical activity for kids and the availability of affordable healthy foods in communities.
Then, in late March, Congress passed and the president signed a comprehensive health care reform bill into law. The legislation contains several measures to help reduce the rising rates of obesity in the United States.
"We are moving in the right direction," said former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, M.D., the health and wellness chair of the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent, or STOP, Obesity Alliance. "It is about incremental change over time."
After all, Carmona said, "it has taken us a generation to get here." Solving the nation's obesity crisis mandates a long-term approach that requires a cultural change. This entails a shift in buying, eating and sedentary habits, said Carmona in an interview with AAFP News Now.
"It is not about (saying that), 'Next month, everybody is going to be healthy, and obesity is going to go away,'" Carmona said. "The culture is the most difficult thing to change."
We Can
a national movement designed to give parents, caregivers, and entire communities a way to help children 8 to 13 years old stay at a healthy weight.
We Can! also offers organizations, community groups, and health professionals a centralized resource to promote a healthy weight in youth through community outreach, partnership development, and media activities that can be adapted to meet the needs of diverse populations. Science-based educational programs, support materials, training opportunities, and other resources are available to support programming for youth, parents, and families in the community
NFL Play 60
Our Mission: To make the next generation of youth the most active and healthy.
In October 2007, the NFL launched NFL PLAY 60, a national youth health and fitness campaign focused on increasing the wellness of young fans by encouraging them to be active for at least 60 minutes a day.
Designed to tackle childhood obesity, NFL PLAY 60 brings together the NFL�s long-standing commitment to health and fitness with an impressive roster of partner organizations. In addition to national outreach and online programs, NFL PLAY 60 is implemented at the grassroots level through NFL�s in-school, after-school and team-based programs. The NFL PLAY 60 initiative is prominent during the NFL�s key calendar events, including Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, Draft, Kickoff and Thanksgiving and is supported by many NFL players and coaches year round. To date, the NFL has dedicated over $200 million to youth health and wellness through NFL PLAY 60.
Reasons why previous efforts to help resolve issue have failed:
Japan is making people showig
Areas of concern on reaching your desired solution to the global issue:
YOUR PLAN OF ACTION! (for this section, you will need to provide the most detail as you lay a step-by-step plan on how your group will go about tackling this issue. It is important that you take a look at all the information you have researched and studied and use that information to develop a true, realistic and effective plan of action. The plan needs to include funding, people involved, time length of project, materials needed, etc…)
we are going to tax parking more at areas downtown forcing tehm to walks because pay the high price and talk to lounges of the middle and upper a school and talk to them about selling more fruits but also making them way cheaper than the candy so if one is down of money there only choice would be of the fruit and then cause them tp eat more of it and more and soon that will become a lifestyle and in lunch we are going to talk to the food department of woodward and some other local schools of college ark and then tell them to start having more veggies as choices.